Christmas All Over The Place A merry collection of short funny plays, live music, dance and audience participation inspired by all the fun the season holds for youngsters. Sat., Dec. 17 at 3pm. $10 adults, $5 kids.

American Red Cross Babysitters Training Babysitting is not all watching TV and raiding the refrigerator. Emergencies do arise and this two-session course for boys and girls ages 11-15 will teach babysitters to handle unexpected situations calmly and competently. Designed to increase leadership skills and professionalism, the course covers such topics as essential safety, first aid, safe play and basic care skills. Participants will receive a certificate at the conclusion of the course. Sat., Dec. 3 & 10 from 1:15 - 6:15pm. Space is limited. Call to register. $50 members, $60 non-members.

Borders100 Broadway, 212-964-1988

Story time
Join Miss Tonya for stories and fun on the second Saturday of the month.

The Snow MaidenBased on Russian Fairy Tales, this story takes us on a journey with the daughter of Father Frost and Faerie Spring who is not able to fall in love, since doing so would cause her heart to melt. But when she fears losing her two newly made friends because of this, she decides to take the chance of her lifetime. Continues thru Dec. 18. Saturdays and Sundays at 12 & 2pm. $15. Suitable for all ages.

Last of the DragonsPrinces are supposed to save princesses from dragons, but what if neither the Princess nor the Dragon wants to cooperate? Based on the short story by E. Nesbit, The Last of the Dragons and tells the story of a Princess and Dragon, both determined to break from tradition but for very different reasons. All ages. Dec. 31 - Feb. 12. Sat. & Sun. at 12 and 2pm. $15.

Manhattan youth212-766-1104, www.manhattanyouth.org

Programs for Children Manhattan Youth provides the children and families of Downtown with quality programs during non-school hours. Check below for details on current events. All programs require pre-registration. Most activities are free, fees apply to comprehensive child care programs.

The Youth Council - Year-round meetings and community service placements for students. Call for more information.

Swimming Lessons - Offered on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays after school. Classes are taught by experienced, certified and friendly instructors under the supervision of the Swim Director at the Downtown Day Camp. Lessons are 40 minutes long. Children must be in kindergarten or above. Lessons offered year round.

After School - Programs available at PS 234, PS 89 and PS 150. More information available online.

In Celebration of Hanukkah The Striking Viking Story Pirates is an eclectic ensemble of professional actors that adapts hilarious kid-authored tales into a vaudeville-style musical. The Story Pirates and five- to eleven-year-olds from schools around New York City have created a vibrant hour of inventive sketches and songs to celebrate Hanukkah. Sun., Dec. 18 at 2:30pm. $12 adults, $10 seniors, $7 students & members.

KIDS' COOKIE DECORATING WORKSHOPKids are invited to a Cookie decorating workshop with delicious winter and holiday-themed cookies baked by the Ritz-Carlton's pastry chefs. Each child will decorate cookies with colorful icing and edible toppings and will receive hot chocolate and homemade cupcakes. Kids will also enjoy a Penguin Books story time and will receive a take-home gift of Penguin Books' children's stories. Sat., Nov. 26 and Dec. 3, 10 & 17 from 1-3pm. $75 per child.

Cool-riclum Open House
Enjoy a special performance by the famous Little Maestros. Fri., Dec. 9 at 4pm. All ages.

South street seaport museum

Follow the North Star Bring scraps of old clothing to create your own hidden message. Close your eyes and imagine what it would be like to travel by night. Learn how shapes and symbols helped slaves on route to freedom. Make a quilt square and join a Museum educator for a reading of Faith Ringgolds book, Aunt Harriets Underground Railroad in the Sky. Sat., Dec. 3 from 1-4pm. Free with museum admission. 12 Fulton St. 212-748-8758.

Fish TalesListen as a museum educator reads classic fish tales while you learn about the creatures of the East River. Look through the lens of a microscope. Create your own aquatic work of art. This weeks featured reading is The Little Fish That Got Away by Bernadine Cook and Crockett Johnson. Sun., Dec. 4 from 1-4pm. Animal feeding time is 3pm. Museum, 12 Fulton St. Free with paid admission. 212-748-8758.

Music of the SeaSouth Street Seaport Museum's official maritime music group sings the songs that made the tall ships sail on time. Sun., Dec. 4 at 3pm. $5 adults, $2 kids. Melville Gallery, 213 Water St., bet. Fulton & Beekman. 212-748-8735.

Free FridaysTis The Season: Fri., Dec. 16. from 6-9pm: Come for a cup of warm cider and a candle-making workshop. At 6 & 7pm, enjoy the Seaports world famous singing Christmas tree. Step outside and enjoy a 45-minute a capella performance by the Big Apple Chorus, presented by the South Street Seaport Marketplace. Donations of canned goods are welcome to be given to a local food bank.

Community center at Stuyvesant High School Managed by BPCPC, 345 Chambers St., 646-358-6880, www.ccshs.org

Bread and Puppet TheaterTwo shows, one for kids of all ages and one for adults. National Circus and Passion of the Correct Moment will show for adults Dec. 8-11, 14-18, 21-23 at 8pm. Cardboard Celebration Circus will show for kids Dec. 10-11, 17-18 at 3pm. A passion play for adults, a circus for kids and the unique Bread and Puppet collection of powerful black-line posters, banners, masks, curtains, programs and set-props. $12.

Tribeca Performing Arts CenterBMCC, 199 Chambers St. & the West Side Highway, 212-220-1460

Kapoot Clown Theatre A madcap comedy clown troupe from Chicago that fuses European and traditional clown theater with the work of sacred Hopi and Zuni clowns. The characters of this fantastical folly inhabit a world where creme-filled eggs fall from the sky and meaningless objects are transformed into radios, corkscrews and airplanes for a World War I dogfight fought with sausages. Sat., Dec. 10 at 1:30pm. $10 for children and $15 for adults.

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Listings requests for the Downtown Express can be e-mailed to casey@downtownexpress.com. Please be sure to include the date, time, location, price and description of the event. Information must be received three weeks prior to the event.__________________________________